Durban, South Africa, December 6, 2011 — The World Bank today announced two new financial initiatives – the Carbon Initiative for Development (Ci-Dev) and the third tranche of the BioCarbon Fund (BioCF... Show More + T3) – to help the least-developed countries access financing for low-carbon investments and enable them to tap into carbon markets after 2012. “The World Bank is helping countries in the further development of carbon markets and other market mechanisms to support acceleration of mitigation efforts, and access to those markets for less developed countries,” said Rachel Kyte, World Bank Vice President for Sustainable Development. “The Bank wants to ensure that its suite of financial instruments, including private sources of capital via carbon markets, is accessible to all country clients so they can invest in their sustainable development. The initiatives launched today, focused on agriculture and access to energy, will strengthen links to these markets for the world’s poorest communities to these markets, as well as the flow of financing to action on the ground.” The new carbon finance instruments will enable client countries to purchase certified emission reductions (commonly called ‘carbon credits’) from a diverse range of projects such as household biogas systems in Nepal, cook stoves in Africa, reforestation in the Democratic Republic of Congo, soil carbon in Kenya, and municipal solid waste in Uganda. These ongoing projects are helping to facilitate and accelerate access to energy in some of the world’s poorest countries. The Ci-Dev, aiming to raise USD 120 million, is a partnership of donor and recipient countries where public and private sector entities are pledging their support to capacity building and carbon market development in the poorest countries of the world. The Walloon Region (Belgium) is seeking to pledge 5 million Euros with an immediate 1.2 million Euros by the end of 2011. A number of public and private sector entities, including the Norwegian company Statoil, have expressed interest in the Ci-Dev as buyers of the ensuing carbon credits. “We are pleased to support these new initiatives which will help the poorest countries gain greater access to global carbon markets. We anticipate that the Ci-Dev, through successful demonstration and piloting, will have a multiplier effect to bring even greater resources to help these countries grow sustainably,” said Walloon Minister of Environment Philippe Henry. The second initiative, the BioCF T3, will focus on reforestation and agriculture projects that go hand in hand with co-benefits such as decreased soil erosion and increased land fertility. The expansion of the BioCF will build on seven years of work in these areas. Notably, eight out of nine forestry projects registered in Africa to date have been developed by this World Bank initiative. By focusing on forestry and agriculture, the projects will develop new opportunities in crucial sectors because the farm economy predominates and is the single-largest source of income, jobs, and livelihoods in the poorest countries including in Africa. “For Ethiopia, sustainable land management, reforestation of degraded lands, improving agriculture yields and access to energy are critical development priorities. The carbon markets have provided capital to help Ethiopia start achieving this. But it’s not enough - we are eager to do many more projects, scale up those we have started and test new approaches to expand the financial resources available to our country, and the expanded BioCarbon Fund will help us do this,” says Dr. Wondwossen Sintayehu, Director, Environmental Law and Policy Division, Environmental Protection Authority, Ethiopia. Despite current concerns in the carbon market stemming from uncertainty over the future of the Kyoto Protocol, the decision by the World Bank to launch post-2012 carbon initiatives is indicative of the institution’s commitment to support market-based instruments to fight climate change. The World Bank is trustee of 12 carbon funds and facilities capitalized at $2.7 billion. These funds and facilities support some 174 active projects that are expected to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases by the equivalent of an estimated 220 million metric tons of carbon dioxide. Twenty percent of the World Bank’s portfolio of Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) projects is in sub-Saharan Africa, substantially higher than the 2% percent average generally for CDM projects. Show Less -

DURBAN, South Africa, 5 December 2011—Five Multilateral Development Banks, who are lending some $8.4 billion annually for climate action in cities, agreed today on a new partnership to combat global warming. With... Show More + the overall aim to better coordinate and deepen support to cities in adapting to and mitigating climate change, the African Development Bank, Asian Development Bank, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Inter-American Development Bank, and the World Bank have agreed to work more closely to develop common tools and metrics for cities. The five MDBs said they would develop a common approach for cities to assess climate risk, standardize greenhouse gas emissions inventories, and encourage a consistent suite of climate finance options. Hela Cheikhrouhou, Director of the African Development Bank’s Energy, Environment & Climate Change Department said, “Considering that the rates of urbanization in Africa are the highest in the world, this is a timely initiative and is aligned with the Bank Group’s recently approved Urban Development Strategy.” Woochong Um, Deputy Director General, Regional and Sustainable Development Department at ADB said, "ADB is working with multilateral development banks through the Climate Investment Funds and other avenues to mobilize the public and private sector financing needed by developing Asia and the Pacific to support climate change." Jean-Patrick Marquet, Director of Municipal and Environmental Infrastructure at EBRD, outlined that “The sustainability and climate change challenges for cities can be managed with a multi-faceted approach involving active stakeholders’ participation in pursuit of both environmental benefits and transition objectives”. “This is an effort to disseminate best practices on an issue of global importance and where south-south cooperation aided by multilateral banks can really make a difference,” said Walter Vergara, Sustainable Energy and Climate Change Chief of the IDB. “While cities account for over two-thirds of global energy consumption and an estimated 80 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, they are also crucibles of innovation. Cities are critical in the fight to tackle climate change,” said Rachel Kyte, World Bank Vice President for Sustainable Development. “With this new partnership, the development banks will be able to better leverage city-level leadership on climate change mitigation and adaptation across the world.” Many cities around the world are already responding to the challenges of climate change. Increasingly, they are acting in concert and learning from one another, regionally, and through national and international networks such as the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability, United Cities and Local Governments, the EU’s Covenant of Mayors, and the World Mayors Council on Climate Change. Show Less -

Durbanite’s Photo and Kenyan’s Rap Video Receive Top Honors Durban, December 5, 2011 – A riveting photo “Solar Panels: The Sunny Energy” by a young Durbanite, Dina Osman, and a catchy rap video “Me... Show More + and My Bike” celebrating bicycle transport by Dickson Oyuki of Kenya won top honors in the Africa-wide Connect4Climate competition announced in Durban today. Robyn Curnow, South African CNN Anchor, announced the winners at the packed Africa Pavilion of the COP 17 meeting. The event celebrated and showcased the creative energies of African youth, ages 13 to 35, who contributed 639 photos and 47 videos to answer key questions such as, How is climate change affecting Africa? Your country? Your community? You, your friends, and your family? “The C4C competition was first and foremost an effort to hear the voices of African youth and engage their creative talents to create climate smart solutions for tomorrow,” said Andrew Steer, World Bank Special Envoy for Climate Change. “The response was enthusiastic with entries from every country on the African continent. The photos and videos we see today are proof positive that even as governments deliberate climate change, people are taking action on the ground and achieving results.” The 54 winners hail from 20 African countries including Angola, Benin, Cameroon, Chad, Egypt, Eritrea, Gambia, Kenya, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Morocco, Niger, Rwanda, South Africa, Somalia, Sudan, Tunisia, Uganda, and Zambia. Prizes include solar backpacks, digital video and still cameras, and computer tablets. Commenting on the importance of the awards, Monique Barbut, CEO and Chairperson of the Global Environment Facility, a C4C sponsor, said, “C4C is an inspiration for those most often regarded as too young to be heard. Now, young Africans can reach world audiences through this new platform. I am convinced that the search for solutions to today’s climate change challenges must include those who will suffer its consequences the most and have the most to contribute through their daily actions. These are the young stakeholders.” Young people submitted climate change stories related to one of six categories: agriculture, energy, forests, gender, health, and water. The response to the competition was impressive, with entries from budding photographers and filmmakers from every country on the African continent. The winning photographs include powerful images of drought and floods as well as innovative solutions such as solar panels, clean cookstoves, and reforestation projects to name just a few. The C4C campaign unites over 110 partners, including international organizations, social media networks, UN agencies, civil society including academic institutions, as well as youth organizations and private sector representatives. Since launching in September, C4C has built a Facebook community of over 100,000 followers with a weekly online reach of six million. The Italian Ministry of Environment is a core sponsor and founding member of the initiative. In a message, Corrado Clini, Italy’s newly-appointed Minister of Environment said, "Today’s rapidly changing social media environment presents a great opportunity for global discussion, advocacy, and participation. The C4C campaign is amplifying local voices and enabling policymakers to listen and learn from the innovations that are happening throughout Africa and helping to bring together environmentally-engaged citizens from all corners of the globe." Connect4Climate is a global partnership initiative supported by the World Bank and the Italian Ministry of Environment. Connect4Climate Knowledge Partners include:Adamawa State University in Mubi, African Forum on Mobility and Development, Africa Rural Connect-National Peace Corps Association, African Union Commission, African University College of Communication, African Virtual University, African Youth Initiative on Climate Change, Ahfad University for Women, Anlo Awomefia Senior High School, American Renewable Energy Day, Boston University, Brainforest, Center for Girls and Interaction, Centro de Estudos Mocambicans e Internacionais, CISP - International Committee for the Development of Peoples, Cittadinanzattiva Onlus, Children’s Radio Foundation, Coaches Across Continents, Columbia University Center for Research on Environmental Decisions, Communication for Sustainable Development Initiative, Conserve Africa, Educate!, Ethiopian Global Initiative, FAO, FOCSIV – Volontari per lo sviluppo, Flickr, George Mason University Center for Climate Change Communication, Georgetown University Center for Social Impact Communication, Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration, Global Alliance for Clean Cook Stoves, Global Unification-The Gambia, Horn Relief, Institute of Tropical Agriculture-Kumasi, Inter Press Service, International Centre for Environmental Research, iYPTDI, Jeunesse Secours, Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies, Liceo Marconi Asmara Madre Terra Chiama Uomou – Africa ’70, Mahatma Gandhi University, Maranyundo School, MILMUN Milan International Model United Nation, Momenta, Mwelu Foundation, MXit, Nigerian Youth Climate Coalition, NR2154, Obafemi Awolowo University, Orbicom, Oshwal Academy Nairobi – Junior High, Pastoral Environmental Network in the Horn of Africa, Plan International, Project Diaspora, Qamar Zaman, Radio FM Liberté, Reuters AlertNet, Rio Conventions Pavilion, RITE FM, Solar Sister, Somali Aid Foundation, Sorgenia, Soundtracker.fm, South East African Climate Consortium Student Forum, Stella Maris Polytechnic, Television Trust for the Environment, Tony Blair International Academy, Trees for the Future Ghana, Uganda Medicinal Plant Growers Ltd., UN Decade on Biodiversity, UN Foundation, UN Women, UN Association – National Capital Area, UNDP, UNEP, UNESCO, UNFCCC, UNIC Pretoria, UNICEF, Unite4Climate Zambia, University of Massachusetts Boston Center for Governance and Sustainability, University of The Gambia, World Bank Institute IMAGE Network, Youth Initiatives Kenya, Youthink! Prizes kindly provided by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), Autogrill, and Unicredit. Show Less -

New Bank climate change data book also released in margins of Durban conferenceDURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA, December 2, 2011 – Software developers and development practitioners are being brought together by an... Show More + “Apps for Climate” competition launched today by the World Bank. The competition, launched at the Durban climate conference, is asking entrants to use open data to create innovative software applications that can help solve some of the development problems that climate change poses. “The competition aims to discover new and extraordinary ways to use open climate data,” said Andrew Steer, World Bank Special Envoy for Climate Change. “We hope to unleash the creative energy out there which will make “apps” that help create solutions to weather-related disasters, risks for agriculture, food and water supplies, rising sea levels and other climate related challenges.” “This latest challenge builds on our earlier “Apps for Development” competition which also drew some very creative ideas related to adaptation,” Steer continued. “One called “save the rain”,” calculates how much rainwater you could save based on your geographic location and the surface area of your roof! We’re hoping for similar ‘out of the box’ ideas this time around, too.” The “apps” for this latest competition can be created for the web, for mobile devices, for sms, for a desktop, or a tablet. The competition includes cash prizes to the winning entries. Apps must be submitted by March 16, 2012.At the launch of the competition today, Steer also released the latest edition to the World Bank’s Little Data Book series, The Little Data Book on Climate Change.This pocket size book provides summary national, international and regional data that cover the gamut of climate-relevant topics, including current and projected climate conditions, exposure to climate impacts, resilience, greenhouse gas emissions, climate finance, and current national and international efforts to take action. The book is available in print or online via PDF. A free companion “app” allows users to browse the climate data collection on iPhones and iPads.The data book and Apps competition are the latest offerings from the Bank’s new Open Data Initiative on Climate Change. The initiative will provide easy access to a first batch of high-quality data sets and analysis. In the coming months, as the Initiative develops, more data and other critical climate information will be rolled out. The materials will be open, free, and accessible to all via a Climate Change Knowledge Portal. The Portal is a core component of the Bank’s new climate initiative and will also provide access to rainfall and temperature information. For those confronted with the challenge of adapting to climate change, the portal aims to be a powerful tool to visualize in the medium and long term how changing patterns of rainfall and temperature can affect vulnerable countries and communities. “Governments need access to climate data to make the best use of their water resources and also to plan for the extreme floods, cyclones and droughts that afflict our country on a regular basis,” said Ana Chichava, Mozambique’s deputy environment minister who joined Steer at the launch of the competition and data book in Durban today. “Local people also need access to this data - and in forms that they can use, so they can make the right choices over when to plant, when to harvest and when it is safe to go to sea to fish,” she said. "We strongly support efforts to make climate data open and accessible for public use.” Also present at the launch today, Stephen Zebiak, Director-General of International Research Institute for Climate and Society, Earth Institute, Columbia University, recognized the Bank as a critical facilitator on the issue of access to climate data, use and delivery. Zebiak, who is leading the Climate Services Partnership, noted “These recent steps by the World Bank on the data initiative are absolutely in the right direction and will unleash the tremendous power of climate and other data and information towards realization of innovative climate solutions.” Show Less -

GEF Trust Fund Grant: $US8.15 million equivalent Project ID: P098538Project Description: The development objective of the project is to advance land management of selected micro-watersheds in Northern... Show More + Ghana in order to eliminate land degradation and enhance agricultural productivity. The project will also improve spatial planning through the integration of watershed management in development plans. Show Less -

WASHINGTON, November 28, 2011—As the United Nations conference on climate change opens in South Africa, a new World Bank study demonstrates that women, when fully empowered, can be an important force for... Show More + change as countries and citizens grapple with the impacts of climate change and prepare to adapt to them. World Bank Vice President for Sustainable Development Rachel Kyte said a growing body of evidence shows that women tend to be disproportionately more vulnerable to the impacts of climate change compared to men. Because of their vulnerability – to more frequent and more extreme natural disasters like cyclones, floods, and droughts – it’s vital that women play a more central role in building their communities’ climate resilience. “We are seeing time and time again that when women are empowered to play leadership roles within their communities, the whole community benefits from better preparedness for extreme weather events,” Kyte said. “It's smart economics, smart business, smart planning, and smart design to look at challenges with women’s realities in mind." One example of this comes from Bangladesh. In 1991, Cyclone Gorky killed 140,000 people in that country. Deaths of women outnumbered deaths of men by a ratio of 14 to 1. Through the government’s intensive efforts to increase women’s involvement in preparedness – including providing women-only spaces in storm shelters and getting women more involved as community mobilizers – the number of deaths in a similar cyclone event in 2007, saw the gender gap in mortality rates shrink to 5:1. “Now women are acting as powerful agents of change in Bangladesh,” Kyte said. “Women are getting the message out ahead of cyclones through early warning messages to other women in the community, encouraging them to use cyclone shelters. It’s not only had a dramatic effect in reducing the gender differential in those who are dying in cyclones, but it has also improved cyclone preparedness overall.” In the paper, entitled “Gender and Climate Change: Three Things You Should Know”, the World Bank underscores the importance of gender equality for effective and equitable action on climate change. The study refers to examples in India where poor women in drought-prone states like Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan have improved their social and economic opportunities through self-help groups that have linked together to increase their bargaining power. Over time, these institutional platforms that have grown up around improved livelihoods can be used to build climate resilience, including accessing advice for dealing with drought and building better watershed management structures. The paper’s author, Lead Social Development Specialist Robin Mearns, says the key to ensuring gender equality is ensuring equal access to resources and opportunities for everyone. “Women very often don’t enjoy the same rights or the same socio-economic status as men and that structural disadvantage means that they are often more vulnerable than men to the impacts of the same climate or hazard events,” he said. In developing countries, projects aimed at addressing climate change or improving energy access can have important benefits for women if gender considerations are factored into early planning. For example, a new Bus Rapid Transit project in Lagos, Nigeria has helped cut carbon emissions in that city by 20 percent. A gender analysis undertaken ahead of the project highlighted the need for providing well-lit bus shelters and other safety measures for women to improve their likely use of the system. Now, women are significant users of public transport, improving their participation in the local economy. The paper also highlights the important decisions that billions of women make every day that influence the amount of carbon that is released into the atmosphere. Women’s choices around cooking fuels, cooking technology and the foods to cook all have an important bearing on carbon emissions. “Low-emissions development pathways can be more effective and more equitable where they are designed using a gender-informed approach,” said Mearns. Show Less -

Washington, November 23, 2011 – From planners and policy-makers to development practitioners, individuals and institutions working to combat climate change are set to benefit from a new Open Data Initiative... Show More + on Climate Change launched today by the World Bank. This latest offering from the Bank, an institution committed to sharing its knowledge freely and openly in support of development, will provide easy access to a first batch of high-quality data sets and analysis. In the coming months, as the Initiative develops, more data and other critical climate information will be rolled out. The materials will be open, free, and accessible to all via a new Climate Change Knowledge Portal that goes live today. The Portal is a core component of the Bank’s new climate initiative and will also provide access to rainfall and temperature information. For those confronted with the challenge of adapting to climate change, the portal aims to be a powerful tool to visualize in the medium and long term how changing patterns of rainfall and temperature can affect vulnerable countries and communities “Development solutions have their foundation in access to data, analysis and knowledge,” said World Bank Group President Robert B. Zoellick. “This new initiative will put critical climate facts at the fingertips of policy makers, researchers, and development practitioners so the public and governments can debate and determine policies with better information about climate effects.” The new initiative is also being recognized by well known organizations in the world of data and information. Eric Schmidt, Chairman of Google, said, "During my time at Google, I've seen first-hand how access to information enables innovation. This initiative to open the World Bank's rich repository of climate data will empower countries and organizations to develop new strategies to address climate change and development.” The Climate Change Knowledge Portal currently uses Google-map and a variety of geographical information systems (GIS technologies) so that users can easily access information and tailor it to their specific needs. Drawing from numerous data sources and working with partners, the portal has grown from a few simple, locally developed tools to assist World Bank staff to a comprehensive access portal with a wide range of climate and development information. In partnership with the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR), the portal also links to country-level climate and vulnerability open data. Close to 40 climate risk and adaptation country profiles can be found on the site. Over the coming months, at least 20 of them will be linked to country-based open data platforms. As part of the Open Data for Climate Change Initiative, a little data book on climate change, a companion mobile app, and an “Apps for Climate” competition are set to be launched next month at the United Nations climate change conference in Durban, South Africa. Building on the success of the previous Open Data Initiative “Apps for Development” competition and the “Random Hacks of Kindness” events, the competition will challenge the global developer community to create tools, apps, and mash ups with climate change data and find better ways to help the general public understand climate change and development Show Less -

Adds World Bank Climate Change Envoy Andrew Steer: "This Climate Change Knowledge Portal enables ministers, development institutions, and non-governmental organizations in developing countries to... Show More + see within minutes what’s going to happen 30 or 40 years from now, based on the best scientific modeling that exists in the world. It’s a great tool for opening up discussion on the issues."Opening Climate Data ‘Increasingly Critical’In the past, a wealth of raw data on climate has been under-used, often ending up as static PDFs or on specialists’ hard drives. The new Climate Portal aims to make it easier to access and use climate information from various sources, including the Bank’s open data catalogue."Opening climate data will encourage experts and innovators, wherever they may be, to come up with new tools for analyzing and managing the effects of climate change,” says Shaida Badiee, director of the Bank’s Development Data Group. “The combination of open data and innovative tools will be an excellent resource for countries as they develop plans for adapting to climate change."The portal allows users to query, map, compare, chart and summarize climate and climate-related information, as well as to visualize the effects of changing patterns of rainfall and temperature. It aids government ministries and World Bank teams in 130 countries where adapting to climate change is a development priority.Modeling Risk in MozambiqueThe Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR), a partner of the Climate Portal, is supporting this effort through its Open Data for Resilience Initiative in 31 countries. GFDRR and government ministries are conducting disaster risk analyses, creating climate data websites, and developing applications to model risk."Making data available is one of the crucial steps toward building resilience to climate change," says GFDRR Manager Saroj Jha. "Open data enables countries to develop the kinds of counter measures needed to deal with extreme events and which must be at the core of every country’s policy and planning."GFDRR expects 15 countries will have climate open data websites by May, and possibly 31 will have them by the end of 2012. Mozambique is likely to be first. The country already suffers from droughts, cyclones and coastal flooding, and is worried about projections that rainfall will decrease during the primary growing season.Mozambique is one of many countries in the world facing such challenges. Mozambique’s disaster management agency and GFDRR are in the midst of building “climate decision” tools targeted to Mozambique’s needs, but which could be made freely available to other countries once they are developed, says Robert Soden of GFDRR’s technical Labs group.One beneficiary could be the Horn of Africa, where the World Bank has committed $1.88 billion to help the region cope with severe drought and build drought resilience. The Bank, with GFDRR and other partners in the effort, including Google, the World Food Program, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), met earlier this month to discuss sharing data. A new Horn of Africa data website will be accessible through the Climate Change Knowledge Portal and the Open Data site."Because there is so much unknown and there is so much data out there, it’s going to be really important that the data is accessible," said Jason Kessler of NASA. "To be able to really meaningfully study and understand what’s going on, it’s going to require as much information as people can get their hands on.""The Climate Change Knowledge Portal is a one-stop shop and will be an invaluable tool both for the Bank team and developing countries alike," says Marianne Fay, chief economist in the Bank’s Sustainable Development Network. "The portal provides an ideal web-based platform to assist in knowledge development, planning and knowledge sharing for green development and resilience to climate change." Show Less -

Johannesburg, November 22, 2011 – The pursuit of green policies can have major direct environmental and economic benefits for South Africa, but the costs of transition to a green economy should be carefully... Show More + weighed against the benefits argues a new World Bank report released today.The report, written against the backdrop of slowing global economic prospects shows how the South African economy, with its close links to the world economy, has suffered, leading to a lower 2011 GDP forecast of 3.2 percent, down from the 3.5 percent projected in an earlier update. For 2012 and 2013, the report forecasts 3.1 and 3.7 percent growth rate respectively, down from the 4.1 and 4.4 percent of the earlier report released in July 2011.“The report finds that green policies can also have significant co-benefits with growth and jobs but these are not automatic and need to be backed by complementary reforms” said Ruth Kagia, World Bank Country Director for South Africa. “However, green policies are not a ‘silver bullet,’ and they cannot be a substitute for pro-growth, job-boosting policies just as fast growth cannot replace the need for well-designed environmental policies.”The policy objectives of pursuing a greener economy and green growth are laudable and there are strong economic and environmental benefits to be reaped. However, such policy reforms invariably involve costs and tradeoffs. The report takes a hard look at the entire spectrum of green economy issues and offers fresh insights with a view to informing policymaking for broad-based growth and sustained poverty reduction.“Green growth means fostering economic growth and development,while protecting natural assets,” said Milan Brahmbhatt and Michael Toman, World Bank Senior Advisor and Research Manager respectively, co-authors of the report. “But natural capital is nearly always overused because it lacks a price that reflects the social cost of depletion due to market or policy failures. Rectifying such failures is key to securing long-term sustainability of the resource base and people’s well-being.”The report recommends that policymakers make choices in ways that fully reflect social costs and benefits of natural capital. Faster growth needs to be accompanied by stronger environmental protection.The report cautions that there is no single policy lever that by itself will deliver both growth and environmental protection. There are important synergies to be derived between growth and the environment and that these are likely larger when growth and environment policies are well coordinated. Show Less -

A Framework for ActionRio 1992 was about setting an agenda for action. We hope Rio+20 will be about realizing that agenda by shifting economic incentives and systems and rallying political will. As part... Show More + of the design of a global roadmap for sustainable development, the World Bank Group suggests Rio+20 strives for agreement on:The adoption by countries of development strategies that are consistent with the concepts of green and more inclusive growth while maintaining a strong poverty reduction focusA global methodology and process for incorporating natural capital and ecosystems services into countries' national accounts by 2030A discreet set of sustainable development goals by 2030 complementing the MDGs e.g. for energy, sanitation, water, land, and oceans, and reinforcing them for biodiversity.We support the three global energy goals outlined in the Action Agenda of the UN High-Level Group on Energy and the United Nations "Sustainable Energy for All" year 2012:Universal access to modern energy servicesDoubling the rate of improvement in energy efficiency, andDoubling the share of renewable energy - all by 2030.We are ready to support efforts to develop more sustainable development goals.Toward a Green and Inclusive Growth PathWe will maintain our focus on growth given its centrality to poverty reduction, but growth needs to be green and inclusive. The world needs a form of growth that is socially and environmentally sustainable that takes resource limits and climate change into account. GDP growth in developing countries will still be necessary to enhance living standards, reduce poverty, and cope with growing populations. But we know that growth per se is not enough. During the recent global economic downturn, some countries continued to see growth at levels of 7 percent a year or more, yet millions of people fell below the poverty line.Green and inclusive growth is climate-resilient, water-smart, land-saving, energy-efficient and reliant on diverse energy sources. It also generates decent jobs and improves livelihoods across a diverse set of productive and service sectors. It is underpinned by properly valued natural capital, the value of which is fully integrated into countries' systems of national accounts. Green and inclusive growth paths factor environmental considerations into government policies and business decisions, placing sustainable natural resource management – with its benefits flowing to people – at the heart of future development and growth. The improved health of people that stems from cleaner air, land and water benefits from and feeds back into this new growth path. Gender equality when recognized as "smart economics" enhances productivity and further improves development outcomes.Enabling the TransitionGreen and inclusive growth policies need to be fully integrated into countries’ overall development strategies and assessed in terms of their contribution to development and well being. Measuring growth with the right tools, promoting sound public expenditure management and fiscal policies, and getting prices aligned with the true value of environmental services are key parts of the transition. The private sector will need to consider how to report on business growth differently, especially in terms of social and environmental value created.These considerations mean that climate and other environmental concerns are no longer the exclusive concern of environment ministries but of government as a whole, especially ministries of finance, economy and development. In addition, Rio 1992 made it clear that these issues are not the exclusive concerns of government. Now, more than ever, the effort to shift growth paths requires the engagement and participation of all parts of society.Measuring green growth also requires new tools. GDP indicates whether an economy is growing, but gives no information on whether the growth is sustainable. That is why putting in place comprehensive wealth accounts that focus on the value of natural capital and ecosystem services, and integrating them into development planning is an important part of mainstreaming green growth.Sound public expenditure management and institutions are critical to ensuring that public spending for sustainable goals is wisely allocated, managed and transparently tracked. Engaging citizens to set priorities and oversee public spending is also essential for transparency, accountability and effectiveness. In developing countries, the role of public policy will also be to remove distortions, barriers and weaknesses impeding private innovation. These efforts can include improving the quality of and access to communications networks, reducing domestic barriers to firm entry and exit, improving access to finance, opening up trade and investment regimes, while at the same time assuring sound environmental and social performance of production and innovation, and strengthening skills and capacity development.The role of fiscal policy is central in allocating public resources to activities with high social and development returns, consistent with green growth principles. Market-based fiscal instruments – like taxes, targeted subsidies, renewable energy feed-in-tariffs, energy efficiency certificates, and emission trading schemes - are critical to ensuring the right incentives for shifting consumption, production, investment and innovation to efficient, clean, least-cost options. Targeted fiscal policies can help create the conditions for the poor to contribute to green and inclusive growth, while reducing unintended costs in terms of public health, social tensions and violence.The role of the private sector in driving the green, inclusive growth agenda needs to be emphasized. Sound public policies and investments are central but are not enough. The private sector is the engine of innovative solutions and the main channel through which the benefits of growth are shared through incomes for rural and urban populations. Green and inclusive growth requires the private sector to operate in ways that decreases its environmental footprint and assures healthy and fair conditions for its workforce. The private sector is a repository of organizational and management expertise that can increase the effectiveness of service delivery, develop new business models and help finance the research and development necessary to transform growth paths.As companies develop more inclusive business models, they will be able to provide goods, services, and livelihood opportunities to underserved populations, creating high development impact in financially sustainable and scalable ways. Growth in businesses that engage with people living at the base of the economic pyramid has so far been driven by talented and resilient business entrepreneurs as well as by value-conscious consumers. Taking successful models to scale will require improvements in many countries' investment climates as well as innovative, long-term investment decisions by the private sector.Establishing innovative financing mechanisms will be vital as sectoral transitions will require significant investments, both public and private. In Rio 1992, the focus was on how to raise new and additional resources, and transactions were assumed to be from developed to developing countries. Now there is a broader choice of private and public finance available which can be mobilized domestically, internationally, and through instruments like the Climate Investment Funds. Targeted international and national public finance, including climate finance, can serve as a catalyst to leverage private sector investment, enhance development policy and lead to transformational change. Developed countries, meanwhile, need to honor their global commitments – such as those agreed at Monterrey (on official development assistance) and Cancun (on climate finance).For middle-income countries, domestic financing options such as green taxes and Payments for Environmental Services are becoming viable options for leveraging financing for environmental investments. In the interim, concessional financing will still be necessary to promote sustainable energy and environmental efforts. Less developed countries will rely more on international transfers and private capital flows to meet their needs to finance the transformation. Private investors will need stable investment climates and different incentive structures, promoting accountability through transparency, and deploying inclusive business models in sourcing and distribution. Financial markets have a key role to play in mobilizing financing that is long-term and suitable to finance the transformation. Special attention needs to be paid to how such innovative mechanisms are structured to ensure that the poor and vulnerable are not further marginalized but are empowered to contribute actively to realizing the goals of sustainable development. Social protection policies can complement such mechanisms so as to ensure that the livelihoods of vulnerable groups are resilient in the face of episodic shocks and chronic stresses.More rapid green growth is inconceivable without technological innovation. Frontier innovations shift out production possibilities, allowing the production of more environmentally-friendly outputs with fewer inputs. For developing countries, innovation includes frontier or "new-to-the world" innovations and adaptation to local conditions, and dissemination of existing technologies.Advancing the green growth agenda requires a systematic consideration of equity, social inclusion, gender, equality and indigenous people’s rights. Environmental degradation is often highly skewed, disproportionately affecting the poor and disadvantaged, where women, children and the elderly are often the worst affected. Carefully designed social protection programs can help alleviate these shocks on the most vulnerable in society. There is growing evidence of the positive links between human development outcomes and more evenly distributed gains from economic growth, higher levels of civic engagement, and the empowerment of women in governance at all levels. The equity agenda goes beyond the use of fiscal and social protection policies as mere compensation for losses incurred by growth elsewhere. Rather, it is a question of harnessing and realizing the economic potential of poor and excluded groups, and ensuring that they have voice and are empowered to contribute to sustainable development.Ensuring the TransformationCombined with an integrated development strategy, the green growth transformation requires targeted action at various levels – globally and locally. Priority action is needed in the following areas that are listed as key topics for Rio+20 by the UNCSD (Rio+20) Secretariat:Infrastructure and Energy: Infrastructure plays a key role in responding to regional and global issues like rapid urbanization, energy sector and sanitation challenges, and climate change. The next five to 10 years present a major opportunity as huge investments in infrastructure will be made across the developing world. For at least the next 25 years, cities will grow by some 250,000 additional people every day – 2 billion more urban residents by 2035. Green growth discourages investment decisions that entrench countries, cities, and communities in environmentally damaging, carbon-intensive systems. There are tremendous win-win opportunities for improving energy efficiency, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, improving air and water quality, tackling urban poverty as well as reducing vulnerability to climate change at the city-level.The three sustainable energy goals put forward by the UN on universal access to modern energy, doubling renewable energy use and improving energy efficiency by 2030 are ambitious but achievable. They are vital for improving the lives of the 1.4 billion people without access to electricity and the 2.5 billion people now using polluting, traditional cooking stoves.Private investments in renewable energy, in particular in solar and wind, have grown tremendously over the past five years, and as the cost of production drops, removing implicit subsidies for fossil fuels will help further transform the global energy balance. There is a need for energy transition, and hydropower represents an important clean energy source which will become a larger share of the world's energy production as lower income countries develop their capacity. Regional power projects and transmission infrastructure will be needed to make best use of available natural resources, including renewable energy resources.Developed and developing countries need to embark on low emission development (LED) paths to sustain growth. An approach that minimizes energy consumption and pollution from transport can be achieved through the adoption of carbon savings technology and sustainable planning of accessible transport services and infrastructure. Strategies for achieving these goals must be gender-sensitive if they are to be effective and benefit those who are most adversely impacted. LED is a critical ingredient to protecting growing urban populations from fine particle inhalation, which often results in increased mortality and morbidity through respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. Reaching WHO-set air quality standards is critical to improving basic environmental health conditions.Measurable targets could include reduction in urban poverty, reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, improved air and water quality, increased energy efficiency in buildings and appliances, reduced energy losses in generation and distribution, and share of trips taken by low carbon modes of transportation. Strong enforcement to reach nationally and particularly internationally-set air and water quality standards is needed.Water and food and energy nexus: A world free of poverty is not consistent with 800 million people without access to safe drinking water, 1.6 billion without access to electricity, and one billion suffering from hunger. Water resources must be allocated between agriculture, energy, urban consumption, mining, and increasingly threatened ecosystems. Population and economic growth are expected to increase demand for food, energy and water further, making the efficient allocation of water absolutely critical.Currently, 70% of the world's withdrawn freshwater resources are being used for agriculture. By 2030, it is estimated that 30-45 percent more water will be required to meet increasing food demands. Already, 50 percent of food globally comes from irrigated areas, and of this irrigation water, 50 percent comes from aquifers which are being depleted at a rapid pace in many countries. And with more than 50 percent of the world's population now in cities, urban centers will increasingly compete with farms for water.Another 15% of the world's withdrawn water resources are being used for industry, mostly for energy production. Hydroelectricity and many solar energy systems – two key alternative sources of clean energy – require water. Stable and ample energy supply is important for water provision and food production. Maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem services also requires an overall decrease in groundwater withdrawal, and these ecosystem services are critical for groundwater supply. To turn these linkages from a vicious cycle into a virtuous cycle, water management must become much more efficient.In addition to the lack of safe drinking water, there are 2.4 billion people living without basic sanitation. To meet the challenges of providing water and basic sanitation to the bottom billion, regressive subsidies need to be removed; sustainable solutions that work need to be scaled up; innovative results-based financing instruments that reward efficiencies need to be promoted; incentives to reduce water use need to be supported; institutional frameworks and water utilities need to be strengthened; and capacity building for service providers in long-term planning needs to be promoted.Oceans: Healthy and biologically diverse oceans are essential for humans, providing food, jobs, recreation, and pharmaceutical resources. Oceans are also the planet's main carbon sink by capturing and storing a large part of greenhouse gas emissions. Today, oceans are absorbing more CO2, which is changing the pH and oceans are becoming more acidic. Climate change is also leading to ocean warming since oceans moderate our climate. Human pollution – approximately 6 million tons of solid waste plus industrial, agricultural and human waste runoff – is also affecting the health of the oceans.Warming, acidification, and pollution are also affecting coral reefs and mangroves. In turn, this "natural infrastructure‟ provides critical ecosystem services at a time when fish resources are already direly affected by over-exploitation. The world's oceans and shared seas provide 20 percent of the animal protein and 5 percent of the total protein in the human diet. They also provide food and livelihoods for 8 percent of the world's population. Bold action to improve governance of marine resources is needed to reverse the loss of habitats, restore fish stocks, and manage coastal environment so that it provides socio-economic benefits for communities and maintains countries' natural resource wealth. Catalytic funding is needed to: move towards rights-based fisheries management, increase marine protected areas, harmonize certification of wild and cultured fish, improve coastal zone management and reduce marine pollution. Currently, only 1 percent of oceans are under some form of protection. For shared seas, in particular, environmental management across all riparian countries is critical.Biodiversity: The planet is in the throes of a sixth great extinction that is liquidating the goods and services on which pro-poor growth and sustainable development depend. IUCN has listed 208 species as "possibly extinct", and a further 17,300 species are considered under threat. We must deliver on the Aichi Targets established at the CBD COP10 in Nagoya, Japan. This includes targets for mainstreaming biodiversity considerations across government and society; reducing the direct pressures on biodiversity; safeguarding ecosystems, species and genetic diversity; and enhancing the benefits from biodiversity and ecosystem services. To do this, countries need to mainstream biodiversity considerations into planning processes and production sectors, set public policy to ensure that the private sector deploys sourcing, production and distribution practices that leverage biodiversity as an asset, strengthen civil society to become an effective partner in protecting biodiversity, and meet targets for safeguarding at least 17 per cent of terrestrial and inland water, and 10 per cent of coastal and marine areas by 2020.Social development: The early years of the 21st century have brought home just how complex, interconnected, hazardous, uneven and uncertain patterns of global development have become. It is increasingly recognized that socially inclusive and resilient as well as environmentally sustainable patterns of growth require attention to good governance, voice and representation for those who are marginalized from the economic and political mainstream. Twenty years ago in Rio, consideration of women was just an add-on. Now, gender equality is part of smart economics as it enhances productivity and improves development outcomes. We expect that gender will be far more prominent in the debate around Rio+20.ConclusionRio 1992 compelled the world to face up to the environmental, social and economic crises of its own making. It put the idea of sustainable development on the table and, to a certain degree, brought about a global shift in thinking – away from "progress at all costs" toward "inclusive growth." It backed up the talk with an agenda for action that, in many ways, defined international efforts for a generation.Rio+20 presents the world with an opportunity to shift the thinking again – this time through a transformation to green and inclusive growth that will be supported by a new kind of GDP – one which acknowledges that growth which depletes natural and social capital is not sustainable. Agreeing on a set of sustainable development goals for 2030 that build on the MDGs will help ensure global efforts are focused.In Rio 1992, government participation was made up largely of environment ministries. At Rio+20 we expect to see much broader participation from ministries of finance, development, and planning. In 1992, women and children were added on to documents under pressure from civil society. Today, gender inclusion is regarded as smart economics. Rio 1992 focused on mobilizing additional financing. Now it is clear that without broader and more innovative financing mechanisms, we will not see results. There is also a realization that transferring knowledge from north to south is not enough. Now knowledge must also flow from south to south and south to north.The World Bank Group itself has come a long way since 1992 – our thinking and actions have shifted enormously towards a focus on sustainable development. We see Rio+20 as a vital agenda-setting moment in history and we embrace the opportunity to put our skills, experience and thinking behind the next phase of global transformation.World Bank Group Actions to Support Green GrowthThe World Bank Group’s comparative advantage is that it can help developing countries try innovative ways to sustainably grow their economies in sustainable ways by leveraging knowledge, fostering innovation, sharing of good practices and lessons learned across the world and building capacity to implement them. We also provide innovative financing instruments and partnerships with public and private sector to fund action along with advice on metrics to measure progress.Our contribution to the Rio +20 agenda is guided by a number of sustainable development sector strategies which include: agricultural and rural development, energy, infrastructure, information and communication technologies, water, oil and gas, transport, urban, social development, manufacturing, mining, and environment. At the program level, our support to meeting the Rio+20 agenda includes:Green Growth Knowledge: The Green Growth Knowledge Platform will facilitate continued work on identifying and remediating knowledge gaps and implementing green growth policies in developing countries. The knowledge platform is also a mechanism to develop partnerships and join "conversations" with an emerging community of practice involving scholars, policymakers, practitioners, and other concerned individuals and institutions in developed and developing countries. The platform will provide online tools for collaboration and discussion on green growth issues. The Bank‟ main partners in this are UNEP, OECD, and the Global Green Growth Institute. We will present a flagship report on green growth providing detailed recommendations for "how."Green issues will play a growing role in the World Bank's ongoing dialogue with finance and economic ministries on fiscal policy, macroeconomic stability, growth, competitiveness, poverty reduction and equity issues. Careful analysis of the growth and distributional impact of environmental pricing policies is needed. The Bank Group will continue to support countries to assess such effects and to design and implement transfers or other social protection programs to help address them. We will also continue working with developing countries to strengthen budget and public expenditure management systems, while paying careful consideration to public oversight and social accountability mechanisms, including systems to evaluate and allocate environmental spending relative to other fiscal priorities and to better ensure that allocated spending is accountably and efficiently used.Wealth Accounting and Valuation of Ecosystem Services (WAVES): Through the WAVES global partnership, launched at the Nagoya CBD COP in 2010, the Bank Group will expand the number of countries undertaking environmental accounting. Already, WAVES is undertaking pilot programs in six developing countries while partnering with developed countries leading the way in the area. WAVES will build knowledge and experience and gradually, broaden the number of countries participating. A key goal of the Bank Group's work in this area is to demonstrate how countries can use environmental accounts to improve decisions about more sustainably managing natural capital.Low-Emission Development: Our Low-Carbon Development Studies, undertaken between 2008-10 in seven client countries, have been scaled up into Development Policy Operations and Clean Technology Fund Investment Plans, among other options. Numerous low-emission development studies have also been undertaken. The creation of a decentralized knowledge platform for low emission development that can provide upstream advice and support to developing countries is being considered with external partners. This includes paying careful attention to the distributional, poverty and social impacts of policies designed to bring about low-emission development, with systematic use of Poverty and Social Impact Analysis (PSIA) to help better inform policy choicesWe will continue to support developing countries with their Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Action plans (NAMAs), enhancing access to the carbon market including through the newly established Partnership for Market Readiness, capacity building activities, and the establishment of innovative financing schemes for LED.The elements of reducing an institution’s footprint (also known as CSR) are fundamental ingredients of a green economy. The World Bank Group will continue to support projects and programs in its client countries to improve environmental and social performance in public and private sector operations. Internally, the World Bank will continue to be 'walking the talk' by continuing to measure and reduce the environmental impact of its own corporate operations to set an example to other public and private agencies.Renewable energy and energy efficiency: Our support for the common goals on access, energy efficiency (EE) and renewable energy (RE) has come in the form of financing and technical assistance. Our work in these areas has contributed to increased access to electricity through grid-based and off-grid electrification. Bank Group support has also helped develop enabling policy reforms, institutional frameworks, and innovative financing for EE and RE projects. IFC has invested, in FY10 alone, $1.7 billion in energy efficiency and renewable energy projects, aiming to increase the relative share of financing into this segment to about 20% of its commitments by 2013. Importantly, IFC financed and advised on, through partnerships with over 60 Financial Institutions around the world, a large and growing portfolio of energy and resource efficiency investments by Small and Medium Enterprises, a sub-set of the private sector which to reach is critical for green growth to take off.The WBG has also built a strong alliance of partners to further these goals. For instance, the Global Alliance on Clean Cookstoves will help distribute nearly 100 million advanced cookstoves, through gender-sensitive strategies, thereby reducing indoor air pollution and increasing safety for the users of these stoves and other household members. Through the Lighting Africa project, WBG in collaboration with the private sector is promoting the market-based provision of safe, affordable lighting based on solar systems to nearly 2.5 million people in sub-Saharan Africa.The goal of universal access to modern energy will benefit from harnessing the power of the private sector. For instance, removing barriers to private sector entry, especially in rural areas far from electricity grid access, will substantially accelerate access to modern renewable energy sources. In countries with some of the lowest rates of access to electricity, the private sector has found new ways of providing rural populations with clean options: biomass-fueled generators using agricultural by-products such as rice husks, sisal or copra are leading to village-sized mini-grids, and photovoltaic-based solar home systems and energy efficient lamps are distributed by private providers at prices affordable to low-income users.The Bank Group plans to increase its investment in preparatory analysis in the area of sustainable hydropower to ensure benefit sharing and adequate social and environmental protections and will also conduct analysis on how best to manage water releases to ensure downstream flow regimes can be managed as sustainably as possible. This analytical work will aim to help clients to adapt their policies and approaches in hydropower to reach their energy goals.The Bank Group is helping to conserve conventional energy resources through a public-private partnership, Global Gas Flaring Reduction. Converting flared natural gas to productive uses will reduce both greenhouse gas emissions and energy poverty.Clean transport: We are committed to addressing the linkages between poverty and social exclusion, environmental quality and human health with efficient transport services. In line with its 2008-2012 business strategy for Safe, Clean and Affordable Transport, the Bank's transport sector seeks to establish the governance, strategies, policies and services that will deliver safe transport for development in a way that is economically, financially, environmentally and socially sustainable. The strategy focuses on reducing GHG emissions which has shifted our lending portfolio accordingly.Climate-smart agriculture: CSA is a core part of the broader green development agenda for agriculture, which is about meeting the needs of people for food, fuel, timber and fiber and contributing to economic development and poverty reduction and food security while maintaining and enhancing the productivity and resilience of natural ecosystem functions.Food security: The IFC has launched a private sector component of the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program to assist in the implementation of pledges made by the G-8 and G-20 to strengthen food security in low-income countries. The program will channel donor funding to support private initiatives developed by client countries to improve governance, productivity, and competitiveness of their agribusiness sectors. Good practice guidelines include safeguards concerning the land rights and natural resource claims of local land users. IFC will provide long- and short-term loans, credit guarantees, and equity to local companies and financial intermediaries. As part of the integrated WBG approach to food security, IFC is providing investment and advisory services to the agribusiness sector across the agricultural supply chain to enhance productivity, help mitigate price and weather-related shocks, and support small and medium agribusiness enterprises, particularly in the poorest countries.Water: The Bank Group will continue to help client countries tackle water issues through a growing portfolio of investment and knowledge that supports improved integrated water resources management, improved irrigation/agricultural water management, and improved access to water supply and sanitation. Water is at the core of many countries' climate adaptation strategies and improved water resources management in the agricultural sector and across sectors, more productive irrigation, and better knowledge about how climate change will affect water variability (eg through more frequent droughts/floods; glacier melt) is fundamental to meet increasing global food demands in a changing climate. Public funding for water is limited but there is growing private sector interest in industrial water-demand management and efficiency, as well as improved wastewater management. Public-private partnerships are helping balance competing demands for access to water and ensure sustainability. The Water Resources Group Entity, a neutral platform where public, private-multilateral, and nongovernmental-organization actors can collaborate on transforming the water sector was formally launched in October, 2011. The entity, which is to be housed at IFC, is the result of a partnership between the World Economic Forum and the Water Resources Group to provide expertise to governments wishing to transform their water sectors.Climate-resilient development: The Bank Group has developed a considerable body of knowledge and experience on climate adaptation through its projects and the Pilot Program for Climate Resilience under the Climate Investment Funds as well as through knowledge products like the Economics of Adaptation to Climate Change. Our experience in developing and implementing innovative climate-related disaster risk financing and insurance tools helps countries reduce, pool, and share climate-related disaster risks, particularly through risk financing and transfer mechanisms. Increasing attention is being paid in this context to how the design of such instruments, and their coherence with complementary social protection and other policies, can help build resilience in the livelihoods of the poor and vulnerable in particular.Sustainable cities: We have a significant work program underway on sustainable cities, with a specific thematic emphasis on climate change. In particular, a knowledge paper on "Towards a Partnership on Sustainable Cities" is being developed, that outlines the framework and elements for sustainable cities, and identifies priorities for action by various sectors and actors. Other recent progress includes: collaboration with the group of 40 cities known as C40; an international standard for measuring city GHG emissions that has been agreed with C40, ICLEI, OECD, UNEP, and UN-Habitat; an Urban Risk Assessment framework; the Mayors' Task Force on climate change, disaster risk and the urban poor; and a guide to adaptation in cities. Implementation of the Eco2 cities program in several pilot cities is underway. A new global initiative on municipal solid waste is also under development. Analytical work is underway that articulates a common definition and standardized measures/tools for sustainable cities, building on initiatives like the Global City Indicators Program. The Bank Group will continue its support to clients in sustainable urban growth and transport, water and sanitation, wastewater management, and climate resilience projects.Oceans: We are exploring options for an Ocean Initiative (OI) with the world's premier ocean-focused organizations, combining cutting edge knowledge with finance for workable solutions to meet country demands for improved marine resource management. Our clients are seeking catalytic funding to move towards rights-based fisheries management, increasing marine protected areas, improving coastal zone management and reducing marine pollution. In line with our open data and transparency agendas, the OI would support knowledge sharing and connecting practitioners.Biodiversity: The Bank Group has accumulated considerable experience in supporting a variety of biodiversity programs around the globe – from saving species to protecting key biodiversity areas as well as supporting civil society to advocate for biodiversity. Our investments and operations demonstrate that biodiversity is a key element of the solution to many global challenges, from food insecurity to climate change mitigation to fuel crises and water stress. Biodiversity conservation and ecosystem-based approaches – employing a range of different institutional arrangements such as protected areas and payment for environmental services schemes, can spur and sustain clean, green and resilient development, generate jobs and attract private investment in the rural frontier, all while reducing vulnerability against natural disasters in an era of adaptation.Social inclusion and gender: The Bank Group is working to ensure that development benefits those who need it most, including women and youth. Women are critical to economic growth and job creation and gender equality is an area of priority focus for results under IDA16, the World Bank's fund for the poorest. IFC is helping increase access to finance and eliminating gender-based barriers to investment. IFC is also working with public and private partners to ensure that youth in developing countries acquire the skills necessary to meet the job opportunities that will emerge as these countries.We are also undertaking analytical work on how climate and other environmental trends affect households and communities, access to opportunities, vulnerability and outcomes. This provides bedrock information for building well-designed policy responses to help the poor and vulnerable adapt to environmental change.In engaging the private sector to create more inclusive business models that would provide goods, services, and livelihood opportunities to people at the base of the income pyramid IFC has deployed targeted investments and used its convening power to share knowledge and promote innovation across the business community. About 150 IFC clients today are using inclusive business models to provide direct benefits to the underserved population at the base of the pyramid, creating high development impact in financially sustainable and scalable ways.Pollution management: We will continue to assist developing countries in scaling-up, accelerating and expanding their initiatives leading to stronger pollution management and environmental health performance. We share good pollution management results and experiences with developing countries through, for example, extensive South-South collaboration and substantive environmental awareness events. An updated Sourcebook on Pollution Management is close to completion.Strategic environmental assessment: Over 100 countries already successfully use Strategic Environmental Assessments (SEA) and Impact Assessments (IA) through directives, policies or laws. SEA and IA help ensure that policies, programs and projects are designed and implemented to have more sustainable outcomes while reducing poverty and advance green economy objectives. Their results are used to inform the development of future proposals. SEA and IA should be recognized as effective high level decision support processes that can assist in the implementation of political commitment to Sustainable Development and Green Economy initiatives. At the Bank Group, SEA is increasingly used in the forestry, mining, water and transport sectors in countries where we are working. Show Less -

PRETORIA, South Africa, November 14, 2011 – The Government of South Africa and World Bank today signed a US$250 million loan agreement of the Eskom Renewables Energy Support Project (ERSP), paving the... Show More + way for speedy implementation of the pioneering Upington concentrating solar power and Sere wind power plants in South Africa.The loan agreements were signed by Hon. Pravin Gordhan, Minister of Finance and Hon. Malusi Gigaba, Minister of Public Enterprises representing South Africa, Brian Dames, Eskom CEO, and Ruth Kagia, World Bank Country Director for South Africa. The soft loan has a 40 year tenor, 10 year grace period, and a 0.25 percent service charge per annum on disbursed amounts.“These are exciting times as renewable energy technologies are improving, costs are plummeting, and more countries are taking the steps to broaden their energy mixes with support from the Climate Investment Funds,” said Andrew Steer, World Bank Special Envoy on Climate Change. “From South Africa to Morocco, and indeed across the developing world, a discernible shift towards modern renewable energy is underway paving the way for a clean energy future in Africa and beyond.”The loan was approved by the World Bank’s Board on October 27, 2011, and today’s signing ceremony helps Eskom to finalize its financing plan for two of the largest renewable energy projects ever attempted on the African continent.One hundred megawatt, utility-scale, concentrating solar power plant to be located in Upington, Northern Cape province,One hundred megawatt wind power project to be located in Sere, 300 kilometers north of Cape Town.“Across Africa, governments, the private sector and civil society are looking for large-scale, technically viable, transformative renewable energy projects,” said Jamal Saghir, World Bank Director for Sustainable Development for the Africa Region. “With the signing of these agreements, South Africa is uniquely positioned to jumpstart low-emission, climate-resilient development for the benefit of all.”During November 28-December 9, 2011, South Africa will assume Presidency of the next Convention of Parties (CoP-17) meeting of the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change in Durban. South Africa has made bold commitments to broadening its energy mix, and the Durban meetings will offer an opportunity to discuss greater scale-up and scale-out of renewable energy technologies throughout Africa. In addition, sustainable energy access will also be a major issue for discussion as only 31 percent of Africa’s population has access to electricity.“The agreement signed today is about accelerating development of large-scale renewable energy generation capacity in South Africa,” said Ruth Kagia, World Bank Country Director for South Africa. “We are proud to be a partner in supporting South Africa’s progress toward a clean energy future that will serve as a beacon of hope and transformation for the benefit of Africa.”The World Bank Group’s renewable energy portfolio has increased from a total of $3.1 billion between fiscal years 2008-09 to $4.9 billion in 2010-11. Given the simultaneous expansion of the overall energy portfolio during the same period, the renewable energy proportion rose from 20% to 23%. Africa had the largest percentage increase in renewable energy investment among the developing regions, excluding the big three economies of Brazil, China and India, and reached $3.6 billion, a 380%-increase over the $750 million invested in 2009.The Climate Investment Funds are a unique pair of financing instruments designed to support low-carbon and climate-resilient development through scaled-up financing channeled through the African Development Bank, Asian Development Bank, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Inter-American Development Bank, and World Bank Group. The two CIF funds are the Strategic Climate Fund (SCF) and the Clean Technology Fund (CTF). Show Less -

IDA Grant: US$13 Million EquivalentProject ID: P123199Project Description: The project will help develop and sustain an environmentally sound, socially responsible, and financially viable framework for... Show More + the Metolong Dam and Water Supply Program (MDWSP). It also aims to increase the quantity of safe, bulk water supplied to Teyateyaneng, and to strengthen institutions and related instruments in the water sector. Show Less -

The objective of the Second
Environmental management and Capacity Building Project for
Uganda is to build and strengthen institutional and human
capacity in environment... Show More + and natural resource management for
the continued response to emerging demands and challenges.
The Municipal Solid Waste Composting (MSWC) for Clean
Development Mechanism (CDM) was initiated in Uganda in 2005
as a project under the National Environment Management
Authority (NEMA) with financial and technical support from
both NEMA and the World Bank under the Environment
Management and Capacity Building Project. The first phase
involved nine Municipal/Town Councils. The Municipal Council
was responsible for acquiring the land where the composting
plant was constructed and availed utilities such as power
and water. The purpose of the Abbreviated Resettlement Plans
(ARAPs) is to record and make publicly available the
information related to the acquisition of the land for the project. Show Less -

The objective of the Second
Environmental management and Capacity Building Project for
Uganda is to build and strengthen institutional and human
capacity in environment... Show More + and natural resource management for
the continued response to emerging demands and challenges.
The Municipal Solid Waste Composting (MSWC) for Clean
Development Mechanism (CDM) was initiated in Uganda in 2005
as a project under the National Environment Management
Authority (NEMA) with financial and technical support from
both NEMA and the World Bank under the Environment
Management and Capacity Building Project. The first phase
involved nine Municipal/Town Councils. The Municipal Council
was responsible for acquiring the land where the composting
plant was constructed and availed utilities such as power
and water. The purpose of the Abbreviated Resettlement Plans
(ARAPs) is to record and make publicly available the
information related to the acquisition of the land for the project. Show Less -

The objective of the Second
Environmental management and Capacity Building Project for
Uganda is to build and strengthen institutional and human
capacity in environment... Show More + and natural resource management for
the continued response to emerging demands and challenges.
The Municipal Solid Waste Composting (MSWC) for Clean
Development Mechanism (CDM) was initiated in Uganda in 2005
as a project under the National Environment Management
Authority (NEMA) with financial and technical support from
both NEMA and the World Bank under the Environment
Management and Capacity Building Project. The first phase
involved nine Municipal/Town Councils. The Municipal Council
was responsible for acquiring the land where the composting
plant was constructed and availed utilities such as power
and water. The purpose of the Abbreviated Resettlement Plans
(ARAPs) is to record and make publicly available the
information related to the acquisition of the land for the project. Show Less -

The objective of the Second
Environmental management and Capacity Building Project for
Uganda is to build and strengthen institutional and human
capacity in environment... Show More + and natural resource management for
the continued response to emerging demands and challenges.
The Municipal Solid Waste Composting (MSWC) for Clean
Development Mechanism (CDM) was initiated in Uganda in 2005
as a project under the National Environment Management
Authority (NEMA) with financial and technical support from
both NEMA and the World Bank under the Environment
Management and Capacity Building Project. The first phase
involved nine Municipal/Town Councils. The Municipal Council
was responsible for acquiring the land where the composting
plant was constructed and availed utilities such as power
and water. The purpose of the Abbreviated Resettlement Plans
(ARAPs) is to record and make publicly available the
information related to the acquisition of the land for the project. Show Less -

The objective of the Second
Environmental management and Capacity Building Project for
Uganda is to build and strengthen institutional and human
capacity in environment... Show More + and natural resource management for
the continued response to emerging demands and challenges.
The Municipal Solid Waste Composting (MSWC) for Clean
Development Mechanism (CDM) was initiated in Uganda in 2005
as a project under the National Environment Management
Authority (NEMA) with financial and technical support from
both NEMA and the World Bank under the Environment
Management and Capacity Building Project. The first phase
involved nine Municipal/Town Councils. The Municipal Council
was responsible for acquiring the land where the composting
plant was constructed and availed utilities such as power
and water. The purpose of the Abbreviated Resettlement Plans
(ARAPs) is to record and make publicly available the
information related to the acquisition of the land for the project. Show Less -

The objective of the Second
Environmental management and Capacity Building Project for
Uganda is to build and strengthen institutional and human
capacity in environment... Show More + and natural resource management for
the continued response to emerging demands and challenges.
The Municipal Solid Waste Composting (MSWC) for Clean
Development Mechanism (CDM) was initiated in Uganda in 2005
as a project under the National Environment Management
Authority (NEMA) with financial and technical support from
both NEMA and the World Bank under the Environment
Management and Capacity Building Project. The first phase
involved nine Municipal/Town Councils. The Municipal Council
was responsible for acquiring the land where the composting
plant was constructed and availed utilities such as power
and water. The purpose of the Abbreviated Resettlement Plans
(ARAPs) is to record and make publicly available the
information related to the acquisition of the land for the project. Show Less -

India’s plans for $775 million in support of a national action plan on climate change were endorsed WASHINGTON DC, November 4, 2011 – A week of meetings among countries participating in the... Show More + Climate Investment Funds (CIFs) has resulted in more than $1 billion committed to solving the problems of climate change. Today, the Climate Investment Funds approved $ 1.08 billion in near-zero-interest loans and grants to support Bolivia, Honduras, India, Jamaica, Lao PDR, Mali, Mexico, and Nepal in their efforts toward arresting and adapting to climate change. Under the CIFs’ Clean Technology Fund (CTF), an Investment Plan prepared by India for $775 million was endorsed. With this financial support, the Government of India plans to kick-start India’s Super-Efficient Equipment Program (SEEP) Initiative by monetizing energy savings that will encourage consumers to buy high efficiency fans; enhance the cost effectiveness of improvements in energy efficiency in large industries and facilities; and enable the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission by lowering the cost of financing and facilitating technology transfer in the establishment of solar parks. The support will also help spur renewable hydropower development, significantly cutting CO2 emissions. “Our goal is to invest in projects that impact social and economic development with significant co-benefits for climate change. By going down this path and with the help of the Climate Investment Funds, we hope to demonstrate how innovative investments and business models can be catalytic to a low-carbon growth model. Leveraging private and public sector funds towards this investment is one of the initial spin-offs,” said Ms. Anuradha Thakur, CTF Trust Fund Committee Member, representing the Government of India. During the week-long meeting of countries participating in the CIFs, seven other countries’ plans were endorsed to receive $311 million in climate finance. “Every time the CIF committees meet I’m amazed at the commitment and energy level of our partner countries. There is a can-do spirit to these discussions that makes me feel optimistic about our chances to solve the problem. When we think about eight more countries and a billion more dollars coming together – this is a serious joint effort. It’s our privilege to support these partner nations,” said Andrew Steer, World Bank Special Envoy for Climate Change. Under CIF’s Pilot Program for Climate Resilience, two new nation-wide strategic programs for climate resilience were endorsed: $86 million for Bolivia for multipurpose water resources projects in El Alto and La Paz and to strengthen the climate change resilience of the Rio Grande Basin; and $25 million for Jamaica to improve the national risk information platform, data collection and management systems, and raise awareness about the risks of climate change. Under the CIF’s “Scaling Up Renewable Energy” Program, three new investment plans were endorsed: $30 million for Honduras to create an enabling environment for scaling-up grid-connected, renewable energy and for providing off-grid energy services in rural areas; $40 million was endorsed in principle for Mali to scale-up solar PV, mini-hydro, and bio-fuel technologies with a focus on electricity production and productive energy uses for women and men; and $40 million for Nepal to scale-up small hydropower and increase rural electricity access using renewable energy. Under the CIF’s Forest Investment Program, two new investment plans were endorsed: $30 million in grant funding was endorsed in principle for Lao PDR to address the drivers of deforestation and forest degradation by scaling-up participatory sustainable forest management in all state forest areas; $60 million in grant and credit funding for Mexico to build capacity for sustainable forest landscapes management, create a dedicated financing line for low-carbon strategies in forest landscapes, and to develop business administration and entrepreneurial skills for sound community-based enterprises to meet REDD+ targets. “The question is still: how fast can we scale up these impressive actions being taken at the country level? How can the multilateral development banks keep the momentum they’ve achieved over the past three years with the Climate Investment Funds and prompt even bigger investments between now and the start of the Green Climate Fund?” Steer added. Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities Design their own Dedicated Grant Mechanism Also this week, the proposed design of the Dedicated Grant Mechanism for Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities was approved by the Trust Fund Committee of the Forest Investment Program (FIP). This financing mechanism is the culmination of more than two years of consultations among indigenous peoples groups, local communities, the MDBs and the CIF Administrative Unit. The dedicated grant mechanism is based on the premise that efforts toward sustainable forest management and addressing the drivers of deforestation and forest degradation must respect indigenous peoples’ holistic approach to land, including the spiritual, cultural, political and livelihood dimensions. The mechanism is expected to help enhance the capacity of indigenous peoples and local communities to participate fully, effectively and continuously in FIP pilot country REDD+ activities. A global component will focus on knowledge management bringing together indigenous peoples groups and local communities from FIP pilot and other countries to exchange good practices and lessons learned on how to effectively address REDD+.The $6.5 billion Climate Investment Funds are a global partnership of the African Development Bank, Asian Development Bank, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, InterAmerican Development Bank, and the World Bank Group. Show Less -